1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing treatment method, a program, a computer storage medium and a developing treatment system each for developing a resist film on a substrate using a developing solution at a predetermined temperature lower than room temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, for example, a photolithography processing is performed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a “wafer”) to form a predetermined resist pattern on the wafer. In the photolithography processing, exposure processing is performed using a substrate for mask on which a predetermined pattern is formed.
The photolithography processing is performed also when forming the predetermined pattern on the substrate for mask. More specifically, a resist coating treatment of applying a resist solution onto a substrate to form a resist film, an exposure processing of exposing the resist film into the predetermined pattern, and a developing treatment of developing the exposed resist film are sequentially performed to form a predetermined resist pattern on the substrate. Using this resist pattern as a mask, an etching treatment of the substrate is performed, and then a removal treatment of the resist film and the like are performed, whereby the predetermined pattern is formed on the substrate.
When forming the predetermined pattern on the substrate, miniaturization of the pattern is desired in order for higher integration of semiconductor devices. Hence, it is required to perform the above-described developing treatment uniformly within the substrate. However, since a developing solution at room temperature is supplied onto the substrate in the conventional developing treatment, the developing speed is high and the development of the resist film starts from the moment when the developing solution comes into contact with the resist film on the substrate. Therefore, it is impossible to develop the resist film uniformly within the substrate.
Hence, to decrease the developing speed of the developing treatment, it is proposed to supply a developing solution at a low temperature, for example, 5° C. onto the substrate (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No H7-142322).
However, even if the developing solution at the low temperature is supplied onto the substrate as described in the above document, the developing speed does not sufficiently decrease in some cases because the substrate is at room temperature. As a result, it is impossible to develop the resist film uniformly within the substrate and appropriately form a fine pattern.